In Bloom
by thelittlestbruja
Summary: Some things just blossom, even in the desert.
He was trying to remember what events lead him to this particular moment.

Here he was the Kazekage surrounded by enemies and he hadn't even had lunch yet. Gaara crossed his arms slowly over his chest and eyed the Leaf Ninja to his left.

"Nice seeing you again Gaara!" Naruto smiled. "Try not to die this time."

His lips twitched into an almost smile. Pure coincidence, lead to this moment. Happening upon Naruto and his team on their way to deliver him a message. He on his way back to Suna from a diplomatic trip to a neighboring village. It was natural that their paths crossed.

He is surprised when the Kunoichi strikes first. Her fist flying towards the ground splintering it in all directions causing the enemies to fly back.

She's a medic is she not? His sand rises to protect him from several kunai flying at his head. His gaze never leaves her form even when he sends his counterattack and his opponent goes flying.

Sakura moves with grace. Splintering trees and breaking bones with just her fists. She makes it look easy.

He guesses she might be able to even move a mountain.

The thought causes him to pause, as he watches her gracefully dodge an attack and send a kick to an unlucky man's face all in one breath. The crunch it causes is satisfying, the last of the group to crumble. She looks back at him a smile on her face and blood on her fists.

It suits her.

* * *

This is odd. Very odd. He isn't dehydrated and more then acclimated to the desert's dry climate. Gaara can't explain the sudden dryness of his mouth. Although he makes it a point to not show it on his face. He stands back arms crossed over his chest and watches.

"Kazekage-sama?" He usually hated that. Not the title, the formality that came with it. He was used to being alone, but this was an entirely new form of isolation. He likes how she says it even though it is mildly irritating. She seems so timid and demure as she looks up at him through fluttering eyelashes. She is anything, but timid.

"Yes?" He avoids using her name. He resents the quickening of his pulse whenever it rolls off his tongue.

"Will you be joining us for dinner?" Naruto is behind her. Throwing an arm around Kankuro's shoulders. His eyes move to her, taking in how her bright hair grazes her shoulders and the light breeze causes her skirt to gently pick up.

"You gotta come, Gaara!" Naruto shouts.

"Naruto show some respect!" Sakura lands a quick punch to the boy's shoulder. She turns back towards him and the odd feeling returns. The dryness of his throat. Gaara grew up in the desert, but this was a whole new feeling of thirst. Emerald eyes read his expression. "You should come Kazekage-sama. It will be fun."

Kankuro turned towards him and smiles. As if somehow after all these years he has somehow learned how to look past Gaara's trademark deadpan expression. The Kazekage's glances to Sakura's exposed skin do not go unnoticed.

Gaara wants to run. Far. Run until he can't see pink and smell jasmine. He doesn't. Not with those big emerald eyes staring up at him with eagerness and anticipation. Friendly. He tries to swallow.

"Okay."

* * *

She is kneeling in front of a grave. Flowers laid out in front of her. He is surprised to find her there, but every time he lays eyes on her she surprises him.

He always notices something different. Right now he finds himself watching her neck, the soft curve of it, as she bends her head in prayer.

His throat goes dry again.

* * *

He finds her in the library next. Balanced on the tips of her feet, back arched, reaching high above her head. He watches tracing every curve.

She straightens when her delicate fingers pull a dusty book free from its place.

She opens it slowly, wafting away the dust with one hand.

Odd.

She looks up as if she can sense his gaze or read his thoughts. She smiles gently.

"Kazekage-Same, Good afternoon." He doesn't remember this girl. Was she always this _interesting._

"Haruno." He gives her a nod. He has no idea why his heart is beating so fast.

* * *

He sits with his legs crossed, palms resting on the table in front of him, watching Naruto playfully tease Sai. Maybe playful was the wrong word. They seem to be arguing. A lot.

Sakura carefully picks at her food. Nodding along to a conversation with his sister.

They leave tomorrow and his sense of balance would be restored. He could pretend pink haired kunoichi didn't exist. That the smell of jasmine didn't make his pulse quicken. Kankuro sits to his left, laughing into his soup.

"What?"

He looks up him, with a surprisingly gently gaze. Fondness. "You should talk to her," He whispers. Gaara clinches his jaw.

"What?" The fondness is gone, replaced with amusement.

"Hey, Sakura-san," His brother says. Gaara stiffens. "I know a couple of medical-nin at the hospital that would love to talk about techniques. Especially after what you did when I got poisoned." Gaara feels Kankuro shift his gaze to him for a second. "Perhaps, The Fifth can arrange something."

"Of course." She smiles. "I would be honored." She turns back to her food.

Gaara tries to ignore the grin plastered on Kankuro's face.

* * *

Months. Six to be exact before she returns to Suna. She looks tired. Gaara can tell by the dark circles under her eyes.

"Thank you for coming, you're abilities are very much respected. You have free reign of the hospital."

Her eyes flash to him, a gentle smile on her face. "Thank you, Kazekage-sama." She bows. Pink hair tumbling over her shoulders like a gentle wave.

He nods her dismissal, but the scent of jasmine lingers long after her departure.

* * *

"Kazekage-sama!" Everyone seems to scream it all at once, but it is her eyes he finds in the crowd.

Pathetic. Not her, him. He clinches his fist at his side as blood proceeds to soak his clothes. Assassination attempts were nothing new, but attacking him in broad daylight, surrounded by civilians, that manages to surprise even him. He took the hit while shielding some of the younger academy students. It hurts to breathe.

She pushes her way to him, her brow furrowed in concentration, her hands already glowing green. It feels strange to be the center of her attention. The object of her emerald eyes' scrutiny.

Kankuro and Temari arrive at his side just as she does. Her hands graze his chest, a grim expression on her face.

He wonders how her skin on his would feel and he suddenly feels light headed.

He tells himself it's probably from blood loss.

* * *

Gaara finds the knowing grin Kankuro is giving him to be quite annoying. His eyes move to his sister who is giving him a similar smile.

They have been acting weird all week.

So, it is hardly a surprise when they both excuse themselves from dinner with less then flimsy excuses. Unbelievable apologies to make it up to Sakura.

"You're gonna be here a whole month! We have plenty of time to catch up." Temari says before departing.

He is agitated. His jaw stiff, food untouched in front of him. What game were his siblings playing at?

"Kazekage-sama…" There she goes again. "Are you alright?"

He looks up at her. Genuine concern etched on her features.

"I'm fine." He gives her a small smile before looking down at his food. "How is Naruto?" Familiar territory, He thinks.

Her face lights up at the mention of their friend. "Great! His training is going well."

He nods. "And how is the Fifth?"

"Well, she sends her regards." Her expression shifts, he doesn't miss the softening at the edges of her eyes. "How are you Kazekage-sama?"

He is thrown by her question. "Fine." he finds himself saying slowly.

She opens and closes her mouth. She wants to say something. He finds himself watching her struggle with mild amusement.

"Kazekage-sama…" she begins.

"Gaara. Please just call me Gaara." Her face lights up as he says it. Like the rising sun or a blossoming flower and suddenly he feels very warm. It's not unpleasant though. It's… just odd. Like his throat going dry or his hands suddenly becoming moist.

"Gaara…" She tests the name on her tongue.

A slight tremor goes down his spine, causing him to sit straighter.

Her gaze looks troubled again. "You want to ask me something?" He sees it in her eyes. Questions.

"I don't want to overstep my bounds." She says, looking down into her lap.

His first thought is that is exactly what he wants her to do.

"I don't mind." is what he says. "I prefer honesty among friends."

Because she is a friend.

The smile she gives him reminds him of the stars littered across the desert sky.

Bright.

* * *

The question was have you been getting enough sleep and the answer was so obviously no.

Gaara sits with his hands folded underneath his chin. Eyes watching the members of his council with growing distaste.

"Can this Leaf ninja be trusted?" One says.

He resists the urge to roll his eyes. "Did you all forget that this is the medical nin that not only saved my brother's life, but mine?"

They all fidget in their seats, casting secret looks amongst themselves, acting as if he doesn't notice.

"She is the apprentice to the revered Fifth Hokage and I have seen first hand her abilities as a ninja. She can be trusted and Suna's hospital will benefit greatly from her insight." He stands and they quickly follow suit, bowing. "I will hear nothing more on this matter."

He quickly leaves the stuffy chamber and makes his way towards his office. He is surprised to find her there standing by his door. Her hands clasped behind her back. Her head titled to the side as she speaks quietly with Kankuro. Sakura looks shockingly out of place against the the buildings muted colors.

"Gaara, I brought you some of that tea I told you about." She is smiling at him again, but he has a hard time enjoying it with Kankuro's eyes moving rapidly between the two of them. A smirk on his face. "I would have given it to you at dinner, but I am needed at the hospital tonight." She places a small brown bag into his hand. Her calloused fingers graze his causing a small jolt of electricity to go through him.

"I have to get going. Just drink some before you go to bed." She gives a quick wave to Knakuro. Leaving no time for Gaara to express his thanks. He holds the small bag to his chest.

Kankuro opens his mouth.

"Don't you dare." He squeezes the bag tightly and the smell of jasmine wafts up to his nose.

* * *

Gaara spends most of his days in silence and that is something he has come to expect. At night when he knows he wont find sleep he just goes over paperwork or reads. He rarely craves any noise. He spent most of his life in solitude and he never grew accustomed to anything else.

Tonight is different. He wants it not to be. He yearns for it not be. A warm cup of tea sits in front of him, steam slowly rising. Dancing. His fingers twitch. Despite his new reputation people still never get close. Naruto being the only one brave enough to ever touch him.

She touched him by accident. This shouldn't be haunting him. He shouldn't be craving more.

He glares at the warm tea in front of him, as if it's somehow to blame for his sudden desire for company, for noise.

The warmth of the cup feels nice against his fingers, it tastes bitter and sweet. It reminds him of something. Something he can't quite explain, but it makes his heart ache and his shoulders slump.

He stares up at the ceiling. His head nestled in between two plush pillows. Sleep trickling in at the edges of his vision. It's a sensation he has only experienced a handful of times in his life.

Spring.

That's it. The bittersweet promise of Spring. He can still taste it on his tongue, it's not the spring that comes in Suna. It is the Spring he saw once when he visited Konoha. It reminds him of soft calming rains and blossoming cherry blossom trees.

For the first time in his life he dreams and it is pink.

* * *

He doesn't see her for days after that.

"Sakura will be joining us for dinner." Temari says, as she strolls into his office, he can tell she is holding back laughter.

"Okay." He doesn't look up from the papers in front of him. "Will you actually stay this time?"

A laugh leaves her mouth, loud and cutting. "If you want me too."

Gaara looks up at his sister, eyes narrowing. A challenge.

"What if I don't?"

Her eyebrow raises and she brings a hand to rest on her hip. "I'm sure Sakura wouldn't mind."

That confuses him and she sees it. A knowing smile spreads across her face.

"What are you saying?" He asks and it comes out harsher then he means, but she pays no mind. Her smile grows wider at his tone.

"See you at dinner, Kazekage-sama."

* * *

Gaara doesn't know where to look. Does he stare at her bare shoulders or exposed thighs? He isn't sure.

He feels like he is suffocating.

"I told you going out was a great idea." Temari nudges Sakura. A nice restaurant is what his sister suggested, then hey Sakura-chan let's get dressed up.

So now here Sakura sits in front of him, in a borrowed dress that leaves little to the imagination.

He tugs at his collar.

"I bet this is better then all the hospital food you have been eating." Temari smiles and looks at her brother.

"It is. Thank you two so much." Then she turns and smiles at him. He forgets to breathe.

* * *

The moon looks brilliant tonight. Bright and full. A soft breeze ruffles his hair and he smells her long before she appears next to him. Still in that borrowed dress.

"Gaara?" Her voice is filled with worry. "Has the tea not been helping?"

"It has been." He turns towards her and he can't help but notice how lovely she looks basked in moonlight.

"Is something wrong then?"

He looks at her thoughtfully.

"No."

He finds himself thinking back to his childhood. How he would watch the moon and clutch his bear to his chest. He remembers how he wished he could reach out and touch it and maybe it would somehow reach back.

She looks concerned and takes a step towards him. His gaze never leaves her, he doesn't blink, unwillingly to miss one single second.

She slowly moves her hand to rest on his forehead.

He is blinking now, in confusion as jasmine makes an assault on his senses.

Her hair looks almost lavender in the moonlight.

He would compare her to a goddess if had ever seen one.

It would be unjust to simply say she is beautiful.

"Are you sure?" Her voice is soft.

"No." He is being honest because he isn't. He isn't sure, as he feels his pulse beat in his neck with the quickness of a fluttering bird. No one has ever been this close and it isn't fear he sees in her eyes. It's something else? Something he doesn't know.

He refuses to say love.

She is frowning now. Confused.

But she is still there touching him, reaching out like a blessing. Her hand moves to rest on his cheek.

His breath hitches and it doesn't go unnoticed. She gives him a gentle smile.

He basks in it.

* * *

He rubs his cheek. It's not burning, more like tingling. Or maybe it's more like an ache.

He can feel the glances Kankuro is throwing him.

000000

"Lord Kazekage," the medic in front of him bows at her waist. "Sakura-san is doing much better and you can see her now." She opens the door for him and shuts it behind him as he enters the room.

It's been a while since he has felt such an acute sense of anger. He crosses his arms over his chest and glares at her sleeping form.

She stirs slightly. "Gaara?"

Just like that anger vanishes in a puff of smoke and is replaced with such an intense worry that his heart aches.

"Sakura, are you alright?" He asks and finds himself walking towards her.

She blinks up at him, her eyes look brighter then usual and her hair is tousled from laying down. "It's just a cold. I think."

He lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and lets his arms fall to his side.

"You collapsed Sakura." His eyes frantically trace over her features.

She opens and closes her mouth. Before sitting up quickly tossing the white sheet that was draped around her frame on the floor.

The look she is giving him is new and he isn't sure what it means.

"You called me Sakura." Then there it is again. That smile. It breaks him. Apparently the only thing that can make a chink in his otherwise impenetrable armor. He hears the crack. It's deafening and it makes his ears ring. Causes him to be disoriented. Confuses him. Throws him off balance.

It's an odd sensation to be held, he thinks. Her face in his chest her arms wrapped around him. He isn't sure how to respond. So he just slips an arm around her and prays that he is doing it right.

* * *

"I'm banned from the hospital for three days." She says. Her outfit is new and the brightly colored bento boxes in her hand catch his attention. "They said I need rest." She blows a stray strand of hair out of her face. "So this is me resting." Sakura smiles.

Lunch with him resting? He is confused greatly by this prospect. By this, the whole thing. The touching, the embrace. He isn't sure of anything and that scares him. He wishes he could read her mind, but of course he can't. He may have had a sand demon inside of him since birth, but mind-reading was kept off his list of abilities.

So, instead he watches her back as she leads him to the greenhouse. A blanket tucked under her arm.

A picnic she says. As she offers him the lunch she made them. He looks at it curiously.

"You know. I never thought I would miss the color green so much." She looks thoughtfully at the plant life around them. Tangling vines and vibrant petals that would never survive the harsh climate outside. She turns towards him and smiles.

He thinks he hears another chink.

"You are homesick." It isn't a question.

He likes the way her expression changes as he says it. The slight tilt of her head, they way her eyes soften at the mention of her home, her lips slightly parting.

"A little." a sigh escapes her. "but that doesn't mean I'm not enjoying myself."

He hears another crack.

He knows he is staring and that he shouldn't be. Temari once mentioned how his staring can be unnerving, but Sakura doesn't flinch or fidget. She looks at him head on chewing thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking about?" She asks, turning her body towards him.

This question shocks him. "The beach." Because he thinks her eyes are like an ocean. Deep and alluring. Filled with the promise of something beyond the surface.

Her head tilts as she regards him, a small laugh escaping her lips.

The sound excites him. Like a child pressing the keys on a piano for the first time.

"The beach?"

"I've never seen the ocean." He admits.

"I have." She sighs. "It's breathtaking."

His food is going untouched. "Tell me."

* * *

Kankuro is lounging on the couch in his quarters. Foot dangling over the edge, a toothpick in his mouth. His hands playing with an arm that belongs to one of his puppets. The sounds of its clanking joints fill the room.

"She leaves soon you know."

Of course he knew, but he doesn't say it. He just looks up at Kankuro, unblinking and expressionless.

"You should make your move soon."

His brow furrows, wrinkling the red mark on his forehead.

"Move?"

Kankuro grins. "You know a _move_." He says the last words with a great emphasis. Wiggling his fingers and eyebrows.

"I still don't understand."

A bark of laughter escapes his brothers lips, causing Gaara to flinch.

"We have a lot to talk about little brother."

* * *

Gaara lies awake in his bed. He should have Kankuro arrested. Or exiled, he can't decide which.

He isn't a fool. He knows what sex is. He knows what foolish things men did to get it. He just has never considered it.

He never thought to.

Attraction. That explains it. The drying of his throat. The ache in his stomach. The sweatiness of his palms. The fluttering of his heart.

He finally had a diagnosis.

The tea Sakura gave him sits untouched on his bedside. He knows what would happen if he were to drink it. He would dream and it would be of her.

Smooth skin, soft sighs, and pink.

* * *

"Gaara," she finds him atop a tower watching the rising sun.

Her eyes look puffy and he can see the subtle tear marks on her cheeks.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

She sits next to him and rests her head on his shoulder.

"Sakura?"

"I'm going to miss you." She whispers into the fabric of his robes. He almost doesn't hear it.

It isn't joy he feels at the declaration, it's disappointment, as he notices the small scroll in her hand.

"You're leaving."

She nods. "Someone has reported seeing Sasuke. I am meeting with Team Kakashi."

He feels anger again. Anger that is sharp. Anger that causes his hands to curl into fists. It isn't directed at her, more at the thought of her getting hurt. He is surprised at the lack of jealousy he feels in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm sorry. I can't finish my time here." She looks up him, new tears brimming at the edges of her bright eyes. He thinks of the ocean again, and the stars, and her bathed in moonlight, and he thinks how the sunrise does her just as much justice. She looks like she is glowing.

His anger is gone when he sees the truth in her face and in it's place courage takes hold as he presses his lips to her forehead.

"I understand." he whispers as he takes one last inhale of jasmine.

* * *

Sometimes she sends him messages. Sometimes pictures. Once she sent him a small shell. It felt so light in his palm. Fragile, he thought as he turned it over in his hands. It reminded him of her hair, he saw the question in Kankuro's eyes when he sat it on his desk.

He sends her messages as well. Once a book on fairytales from the Wind country. He doesn't send pictures, instead he sends charcoal sketches of plants that remind him of her. Flowering jasmine he finds in the greenhouse and blooming desert flowers that remind him of her strength.

He doesn't see her for sixty-four days and Gaara feels it. Feels one-thousand-five-hundred and thirty-six hours with an acute awareness. Every second, but then suddenly she is standing in front of him and it feels like nothing. Like it was all almost worth it. All he sees is her.

Her arms are draped around his neck in seconds. He can hear gasps from some of the ninja around, quiet murmurs reach his ears as he slips his arms around her too.

"Hey Sakura-chan how come you never hug me like that?" Naruto whines.

Gaara is thankful for the glare Temari gives the blonde.

* * *

Three days is all he has. Then it's back to letters and counting.

She shows him sand she got from a beach. She brought it in a little bottle and she gives it to him with a smile.

He strokes her cheek as she tells him about a mission they went on in Water country. She continues talking like his hands on her is the most normal thing in the world.

* * *

She sighs and leans against him staring up at the night sky. Her fingers intertwined with his.

"I don't know when I can come back here." her feet are dangling over the edge of the roof they are sitting on. She swings them back and forth.

"I understand." He says, squeezing her hand.

She looks at him. "Will you still write to me?" She whispers it like she is telling him a secret.

"Yes."

Then he kisses her, soft and gentle. Almost chaste. Filled with things he doesn't know how to say.

She pulls away and touches the red tattoo on his forehead. Traces the red markings with her finger.

Then he dares to think it, love.

* * *

Fluttering. He has been thinking that word a lot. His heart flutters, his pulse, his breath. It's all fluttering.

She looks at him eyes shiny from unshed tears. There is a promise on her lips. He can taste it when he kisses her. It taste sweet like honey.

"I'll miss you." He finds himself whispering into her mouth.

"I'll miss you, too." She throws her arms around him. Squeezing him to her one last time.

When he watches her retreating back and admires the way her hair flutters in the wind.

* * *

Gaara thought he was done finding things surprising, but war got here awfully fast.

He looks out at all the shinobi lined in front of him. Staring at him, their leader.

He sees pink in the distance.

* * *

She finds him later that night. Gone is her usual outfit replaced by a standard green jounin vest. She clenches and unclenches her fists at her side. Eyes locked with his.

Her gaze never wavers and neither does his.

Gaara finds the skin on her thighs to be his favorite and the way she says his name like a prayer to be enlightening.

He whispers into her hair as she falls asleep in his arms.

"Don't die."

* * *

He thinks of her often during the fighting, but it doesn't distract him. He draws strength from it. Puts it in every granule of sand.

He heard someone once say that love conquers all. He always thought that was stupid. Idiotic. Pointless.

Then she smiled at him.

She is doing it again, smiling and hammering away at his armor.

She is covered in blood, carrying Naruto and Sasuke.

Maybe it's not so dumb.

Maybe it's true.

She conquered him didn't she?

With something as simple as a caring touch and a gentle smile.

He reaches out to help her, just like she did to him.

* * *

"Well what do you think?" She asks. Sakura leans over him and he feels a slight flush creep onto his cheek, as he feels her body press against his back.

Sand slips in between his toes. A bird caws in the distance.

Waves roll over each other in a calming rush.

He looks back at her. The sun turning her skin pink.

"It's beautiful." He says simply.

* * *

It's an interesting epiphany.

He has it six months after the war, reading a scroll from Sakura. She needs to stay in Konoha, she writes, they are still recovering, the Sixth Hokage needs her.

The scroll smells like her. Jasmine.

He finds himself staring at the soft curves of her writing. The delicate hoops and straight lines, his eyes lock onto the last line.

With love, Sakura.

Love it says.

"Oh."

Kankuro looks at him. "Is everything alright?"

He sees the word often. Every time he looks in the mirror, but to see it here, written by her. To him. With love.

"Where are you going?" His brother asks, rising to his feet.

Gaara stands so quickly several pieces of paper fall to the ground. His eyes look towards the west.

"Konoha." He says while picking up his gord and strapping it on his back.

Kankuro eyes his brother wearily. "Konoha?"

"You and Temari are in charge." He says. He quickly moves out of the room.

"Why?"

He looks west again and this time Kankuro doesn't miss it. Gaara developed a mask a long time ago. An expressionless one used to intimidate and hide, but right now Kankuro can see the softening of his eyes. He looks lost in thought, clutching an open scroll in his hand. The handwriting looks familiar.

"Love."

Then he is gone in a flurry of sand.

"Oh."

* * *

"I love you." He is surprised how easy it is to say it. She gasps and drops the groceries in her arms.

"Gaara!" She shrieks in shock. "Are you alright?" Her hands are on him in flash, glowing green. "Come inside." She tugs at his sleeve pulling him towards her door.

Her apartment is small and smells like her, the sketches he sent her scattered along the walls.

Sakura sits him on the coach and hurries to the kitchen. She returns with a glass of water. Her hands are back on him as he sips the cup. Water eases the dryness of his throat. He only realizes now, after seeing the concern in her eyes, how awful he must look after traveling for three days straight.

"I love you." He says again as she rests her hands on his cheek. He relishes the look on her face as she realizes what he just said. The widening of her eyes, the flush that spreads on her cheeks. Then a smile slowly forming on her lips.

"You came all this way to tell me that?" She asks, her hands slowly coming to rest on his shoulders. He just now realizes how close they are. He gently places the glass on the table next to them before slipping his arms slowly around her.

"Yes."

She laughs, it reminds him of a wind chime. Soft and sweet. "I love you, too." She whispers.

He looks at her. The way he always does, with his undivided, unwavering attention and smiles.

Truly smiles.

She basks in it.

* * *

He thinks that he will never stop marveling at her closeness. Or her smell, or her smile, or her touch, or the smoothness of her skin, the callouses on her fingers, or the shade of her hair.

He will never stop marveling at her, Sakura. The object of his deep affection.

He can't stop touching her now that he has started. Unabashedly reaching to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. Laying a hand on the small curve of her back, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. A gentle squeeze of her hip.

People gawk, of course they do. Some Gasp even, but he pays them no mind because she is his and he is hers.

* * *

He asks her to marry him on a Tuesday. Two years after the war is over. She cries then quickly says yes. He does it on top of the tower where she first touched him.

* * *

Kankuro wraps an arm around his brother when he hears the news and Temari cries.

Naruto laughs and hugs them both.

The Uchiha stays silent.

The Sixth Hokage crinkles his eye and rubs his masked chin in thought.

Gaara sees the unspoken threat. In all the eyes of her friends. He smiles back at them, hands clasped behind his back as Sakura leans against him, showing her friends the ring that belonged to his mother.

The Copy-nin finally smiles when she asks if he will walk her down the aisle.

* * *

He once thought that an expensive white dress wouldn't really add anything to her beauty. She is already so beautiful.

It is all just accessories, he thought. She would look amazing in anything, but he is wrong, this is different.

She looks better then the last goddess he saw.

Benevolent, supreme, loving, all words that spring forth in his mind as he watches her walk towards him.

He clasps her hands in his and declares his love for her in soft whispers in front of all their friends. She whispers hers back with equal love in her eyes.

Then they kiss and the whole room sighs at once.

* * *

She is crying again and his trying his best not to laugh. He really is.

Tears steadily roll down her cheeks. "Gaara, why isn't there any more chocolate?'

It's an odd thing to be emotional about he knows, but Temari was the same way.

He sits next to her and she immediately rests her head on his shoulder. Sniffing gently and rubbing her belly.

"I'm sorry for being so crazy." She whispers. He slips an arm around her and kisses her forehead.

"Don't be. I understand."

"You always understand." she moves to rest her hands on his chest. She clutches the fabric of his robes in a tight grip.

He finds himself smiling, as she starts kissing his neck.

This was his favorite part.

He couldn't wait for her to see the new chocolate he brought.

* * *

Gaara deems the night she gives birth to their first child to be the most stressful of his life.

He paces the hallway, sand swirling around him.

"Everything will be fine brother." Kankuro watches the sand wearily, hands nervously fiddling with a piece of wood.

Her screams scare him the most, and when they stop suddenly he feels his heart drop.

Tsuande throws the doors open so quickly he jumps back, fist raised.

"Congratulations it's a boy and he has your hair."

* * *

Domestic bliss, is what his sister called them. It was a phrase he had never heard before and it confused him greatly.

Gaara thinks he gets it now. Watching his wife gently lower their son's toes into the sparkling water in front of them. He laughs and shrieks, it's his first time seeing the ocean.

Sakura looks back at him and smiles, inviting.

He joins them and he likes the way the water feels on his feet.

He marvels at where he is and who he is with, but he doesn't stop to ponder on how he got there.

He just takes his wife's hand and smiles.

Gaara truly smiles.


End file.
